'Week in the life of' tool

Creating and analysing a week in the life of, and discussing it with others, creates a shared understanding of work and operational issues, which can inform decisions about how targeted youth support resources are deployed most effectively. The analysis also contributes much to teams that wish to create stronger multi-agency working.

A week in the life of allows individuals to analyse and comment on the extent to which they feel they are working effectively. It helps identify where people working in youth support are not working as effectively as they could be and where working more collaboratively will be most effective. Periodic re-use of the tool helps to assess change and ensures its benefits are sustained.

A week in the life of is a very effective way of coming to understand how other individuals and services operate. It is an excellent tool for young people to use. It can also be very effective for services to share their weeks in the life of with young people as it provides young people with an understanding of the work, roles and pressures faced by those working with and supporting them.

Click for additional resources to support the Deepen phase of the targeted youth support change process, or for an overview of the Deepen phase.